Blushing Cure - How To Stop Blushing - Part 1

This hub is more like an introduction. If you would like to just jump straight to the blushing cures go to Part 2.

It was a chilly November Saturday afternoon and I was sitting at a small table in a coffee shop with a couple of my friends. We all had bought tickets to see a movie at the local theater but the film wasn’t due to start for another hour. We decided to rest up at the nearest coffee shop for a cookie and a coffee while we waited.

The chill outside had brought in quite a few people from the cold. Some sat around tables and others rested up on stools along the coffee counter. There was a homely smell of fresh coffee in the air and the nattering of people’s voices throughout the shop. This was no Starbucks.

I remember thinking how crowded that little shop actually was because every chair had been occupied making it very difficult to move around comfortably in my chair. If I wanted to sit back a little my head would surely hit the person’s head sitting at the table behind me.

I can’t remember what my friends and I were discussing. We would discuss all kinds of topics although I have a sneaking suspicion that women were the basis of many of those discussions.

Anyway, one of my friends was telling a story about something and we all started getting into this conversation. I was so caught up with the subject that I had begun to relax about the cramped coffee shop situation.

We were all blabbing away at once at each other. I had thought of a real cool story to tell and in my relaxed state I had just begun to tell it. It would be a long story. If I was to tell it correctly I would have to set the scene and describe the surroundings and basically work my way through the story to lead to the punch line style ending. Within seconds I realized what I had done. I offered to tell a story and now all eyes were on me as both my friends silently waited for me to tell it.

The Voice: “Holy crap, Andy! Why didn’t you just keep your mouth shut? Do you have any idea how long this story is?”

Me: “I’m going to be fine. I am having a good time with my friends and I am going to tell this story”

The Voice: “Oh man! It’s going to happen”

Me: “No it isn’t! Shut up! I have already started telling the story”

The Voice: “I can feel it rising. Your gonna blush buddy!”

Me: ”Shut up!” “Oh please no don’t. Don’t blush. Please don’t blush”

At this point, while telling the story, I have started to fidget a little in my chair. Both of my hands move a little closer to my face readying themselves to cover up the cheek area if and when the blush shows itself. The enthusiasm in telling the story drops dramatically and now it is a race to get the story out as quickly as possible. My friends continue to stare, sensing my discomfort.

The Voice: “Can you feel it rising? Can you feel the slight warmth in your cheeks? It’s coming and it’s gonna be a full face job that may last 20 seconds or more!”

Me: “Think of something else! Concentrate on the story! Don’t blush, don’t blush, don’t blush!”

The Voice: “To late pal, it’s here already!”

This article is the first part of two under the title of Blushing Cure - How To Stop Blushing. If you have read Part 1 then skip to:

>>>Blushing Cure - Part 2<<<

My inner voice was right. The blush was already on its way; and it was a big one too. All thoughts on telling the story had gone. I knew what was coming and now, in my mind, the only thing that mattered was getting through the blushing experience as quickly and with as little embarrassment as possible. On the outside I am still trying to explain the story to my friends, and doing a bad job of it. On the inside, I am battling to prevent myself from blushing. The later is an impossible task once it has begun.

I notice the look on my friends faces as they witness my gradual change from confident speaker to a self-consicious, shy little boy. The look on their faces is pity. They can see me struggling and they are embarrassed for me.

The Voice: “Dude, you have made a total mess of this story now. Look at you, your bright red. You idiot!”

Me: “You’re not embarrassed, you’re not shy, the blushing will go away, they can’t see your red face, they don’t know it’s happening, act normal…”

It must’ve been 5 seconds into the blush. It was peaking. I could feel the heat wrap itself around both my cheeks under my eyes and over my forehead. I have never actually seen myself blush, but judging by what I was feeling it must’ve been fascinating to watch. For me, at that time, it is hell.

The Voice: “It is hot! You’re sweating. Everyone can see you sweating and they are noticing how weird you’re acting. You are looking ridiculous”

Me: “Please cool down. Don’t sweat anymore”

After the initial peak, almost immediately I felt the blush disappear as suddenly as it had arrived. The heat would flow from my face and I knew that the blush was dying out. My heart rate dropped back to normal and the sweating stopped.

What was left was all psychological. I finished the story as best I could and then looked away wishing for this moment to disappear.

"The most peculiar and most human of all expressions."

If the answer to the above question is yes then just click on the Part 2 link on the right of this paragraph. You will be taken to the next hub in this series which will have information on the causes and effects of blushing and also tips on how to overcome it.